Top 10 Supplements
Supplements - Dr. Daniel and Greg the health coach discuss all things supplements in this exclusive AIIM interview - check it out.
In this video interview with Dr Daniel Horzempa we discuss supplements - all the pros, cons and considerations.
Pros - these days our soils and diets are lacking vital nutrients we need for optimal functioning. We are also a long way from our optimal hunter gatherer all fresh, natural, all organic diet.
Cons - supplements are easy to get wrong, both quality and quantity issues are challenging. Supplements can be expensive and can produce positive, negative or no results. The industry is unregulated and these pills are expensive.
Food still rules - pills should only “supplement” what is already an excellent diet. They can add to or support or fill in gaps but supplements can not make up for a lousy diet. Supplements can cause imbalances. Fat soluble vitamins need good fats in the diet in order to work. Bottom line - Food is still the best medicine, supplements can assist but look to food first.
Quality - Bioavailability, processing, freshness, etc. an example - fish oils more often than not show no benefit or a negative one in consumers even though in clinical trials the benefits are pronounced. What gives? Quality and quantity are at play. Cheap fish oil, low dose, poorly processed, long shelf times, etc are likely to blame.
Quantity - dosage for some supplements is very important, not too much, not too little. On the too little side - multivitamins are generally worse than nothing at all. Containing such low amounts of listed nutrients they give the false impression that basics have been met and thus diet can be less focused
Combinations - within food vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc - they exist in synergistic amounts that compliment their effectiveness in human health. Thus with many supplements they should / must be taken with other nutrients / supplements. Vitamin K with your Vit D. Copper with your Zinc.
And then there are amounts - most vitamins have a well established optimal range that can be confirmed via a simple blood test - vitamin D is an excellent example, not too much or too little, getting just right pays big dividends.